Recombinant vaccine against marek&#39;s disease and newcastle disease

ABSTRACT

Provided herein are immunogenic compositions containing recombinant viruses capable of inducing protection in poultry against both Marek&#39;s disease virus (MDV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Such viruses incorporate nucleic acids for expressing at least one MDV antigen, such as glycoprotein B, and antigenic portions thereof, in a recombinant NDV genome.

The present application is a continuation application of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/848,880 filed Apr. 15, 2020, the content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention

The subject matter disclosed herein provides immunogenic compositions containing recombinant vaccines against Marek's disease and Newcastle disease. These vaccine compositions contain recombinant viruses capable of inducing protection in recipients, such as poultry, against both Marek's disease virus (MDV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Such viruses incorporate nucleic acids for expressing at least one MDV antigen (e.g., glycoprotein B) in a recombinant NDV genome.

Background

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by infection of Avian orthoavulavirus 1, commonly known as Newcastle disease virus (NDV, used hereafter), is one of the most serious infectious diseases in poultry (Miller and Koch, 2013). All known strains of NDV are of a single serotype, but three different pathotypes have been described: velogenic (highly virulent), mesogenic (moderately virulent), and lentogenic (low virulence) viruses. Velogenic strains can cause severe disease, characterized by extensive lesions and high mortality in both the laboratory and field, and such outbreaks require reporting to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) by member nations.

NDV contains a single-strand, non-segmented, negative-sense RNA genome that consists of six genes flanked by a 3′ Leader and 5′ Trailer in the order 3′-nucleocapsid protein (NP)-phosphoprotein (P)-matrix protein (M)-fusion protein (F)-hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN)-large polymerase (L)-5′ (de Leeuw and Peeters, 1999; Peeters et al., 1999; Samal, 2011). Unlike positive-stranded RNA viruses, the naked genomic RNA of NDV is not infectious. It must be encapsidated with the NP protein and associated with the P and L proteins, forming a ribonucleocapsid, to act as an template for RNA transcription and replication (Peeters et al., 1999).

Vaccination combined with strict biosecurity practices have been recommended for controlling NDV outbreaks for over 60 years (Dimitrov et al, Vet. Microbiol., (2017) 206:-126-36). The NDV LaSota strain, a naturally-occurring low virulence NDV strain, has been routinely used as a live vaccine throughout the world for more than fifty years to prevent ND (Goldhaft, T., Avian Dis. (1980) 24:297-301). This vaccine strain induces strong immunity both locally and systemically and can be readily administered through drinking water supplies or by directly spraying the birds. The LaSota vaccine has been proven to be safe and stable, and there are no reports of virulence reversion or recombination for this vaccine strain to generate new virulent strains.

Marek's disease (MD) is a highly contagious immunosuppressive and neoplastic disease of chickens caused by a cell-associated herpesvirus, gallid alphaherpesvirus type 2 (GaHV-2), commonly known as Marek's disease virus (MDV) (Osterrieder et al, Nat. Rev. Microbiol., (2006) 4:283-94). Some characteristics of MD include T-cell lymphomas, infiltration of nerves and organs by lymphocytes, and immunosuppression (Boodhoo et al, Vet. Res., (2016) 47:119).

In the commercial poultry industry, Marek's disease manifests itself through increased condemnation rates for skin leukosis, visceral lymphomas, and secondary adventitious infections. The disease cannot be treated post-infection, but vaccination in ovo or at day of hatch can prevent and minimize the impact of the disease. Vaccines have been paramount in curtailing losses due to MD (Schat, K., Avian Dis., (2016) 60:715-724). The first vaccine (circa 1969) was a modified live strain HPRS-16/att that was attenuated by in vitro serial passage of a virulent strain (Churchill et al, J. Gen. Virol., (2016) 4:557-64; Churchill et al, Nature, (1969) 221:744-7). However, due to its poor replication rates in chicken, it was replaced with an antigenically related virus, turkey herpesvirus (HVT). Over the last half-century of high-density commercial poultry production, Marek's disease viruses have evolved to higher degrees of virulence as reflected by increased levels of lymphomas and paralysis (Witter, R, Avian Dis., (1983) 27:113-32), and newer vaccines like SB-1 and 301B/1 (Schat et al, Avian Pathol., (1982) 11:593-605) were introduced periodically to control the disease (Witter et al, Avian Dis., (1987) 31:829-40).

In the US, MD is controlled through the near-ubiquitous application of live infected cellular preparations of MD vaccines, i.e., Rispens, HVT, SB-1, or combination of these vaccine viruses (Rispens et al, Avian Dis., (1972) 16:126-38; Witter et al, Poultry Sci., (1985) 64:2280-6). These vaccines consist of infected chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) and not “cell-free” viruses. They can only be used in modern industrialized countries because they are unstable at temperatures greater than −80° C. In countries where liquid nitrogen is not practical or available, it is impossible to maintain the cold chain, and thus, these countries cannot vaccinate against Marek's disease and thereby suffer tremendous poultry losses due to condemnation. Even in modern countries, vaccine failure often occurs due to incorrect thawing of the vaccine ampoules or extended handling times. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop a safe and efficacious vaccine that can be produced, transported, and administered at ambient temperatures.

To overcome these problems associated with the MDV vaccines, we have developed a novel, Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine strain-based recombinant virus expressing glycoprotein B (gB) of MDV as a dual vaccine against MD and Newcastle disease. Glycoprotein B is the major antigen of MDV and is the fusogen necessary for penetrating susceptible cells (Schat & Nair, “Marek's Disease,” p. 515-52, in Swayne D E, Glisson J R, McDougald L R, Nolan L K, Suarez D L, Nair V (ed), Diseases of Poultry, 13th ed. Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Iowa, USA). As reported herein, we have generated an NDV LaSota strain-based recombinant virus expressing the gB of MDV as a dual vaccine candidate using reverse genetics technology. Biological assessments and evaluations of the vaccine in chickens showed that the recombinant virus expressing the MDV gB protein is a safe and efficacious dual vaccine candidate against MDV and NDV challenges.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides a composition comprising a nucleic acid at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:3. In some embodiments, the nucleic acid is at least 99% identical to SEQ ID NO:3. Also provided herein are vectors containing this nucleic acid.

Also provided herein is a recombinant Newcastle disease virus (NDV) comprising a synthetic polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:2. In some embodiments, the synthetic polypeptide has at least 98% identical to SEQ ID NO:2. In specific embodiments, such viruses are combined with a pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable carrier. In some embodiments, the NDV strain is LaSota.

The present disclosure also provides a method of eliciting an immune response against Marek's disease virus (MDV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in a subject, by administering a composition comprising a recombinant NDV expressing a synthetic polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:2 to the subject. In some embodiments, the synthetic polypeptide has an amino acid sequence at least 98% identical to SEQ ID NO:2. In particular embodiments, the synthetic polypeptide is identical to SEQ ID NO:2. In some embodiments, the recombinant NDV has a nucleic acid with at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO:3. In specific embodiments, the recombinant NDV is identical to SEQ ID NO: 3. In preferred embodiments, the subject is poultry, such as chicken.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the claims. Features and advantages of the present invention are referred to in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 provides a schematic representation of the construction of an exemplary recombinant NDV containing the gB gene of MDV (rLS/MDV-gB). The gB gene of MDV was optimized for codon usage for chickens. The ORF of the gB gene and the vector (pLS-GFP), containing the gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP), were amplified by PCR using gB- and vector-specific primers. The amplified gB ORF was cloned as an independent transcription unit into the pLS-GFP vector to replace the GFP gene. The direction of the T7 promoter is indicated by the bold arrow. HDVRz and T7ω represent the site of a hepatitis delta virus ribozyme and T7 terminator sequences, respectively.

FIG. 2 provides graphic representation of results from growth kinetics analyses of the recombinant NDV expressing the gB gene of MDV (rLS/MDV-gB) compared with parental rLaSota and rLS/GFP viruses. DF-1 cells were infected with each virus separately at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.01. Viral titers were determined by the 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID₅₀) assay for each time point in triplicates. The mean titer of each time point is expressed in Log₁₀ TCID₅₀/mL.

FIG. 3 provides photomicrographs demonstrating the detection of MDV-gB and NDV HN protein expression by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). DF-1 cells were infected with rLaSota (top row) and rLS/MDV-gB (bottom row). At 24-hours post-infection, cells were fixed and stained with a mixture of chicken anti-MDV serum (Md11) and mouse anti-NDV HN monoclonal antibody, followed by a mixture of FITC-labeled goat anti-chicken IgG (third column) and ALEXA FLUOR 568-labeled goat anti-mouse IgG (second column). Infected cells were examined for cytopathic effect without fluorescence (first column) and were also stained with DAPI (fourth column). Photomicrographs are shown at 400× magnification. Green, red, and blue fluorescent images taken from the same field of virus-infected cells were merged into single images (fifth column). Bars represent 100 μm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Marek's disease (MD) is a highly contagious viral neoplastic disease of chickens caused by Marek's disease virus (MDV), resulting in significant economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. The commonly used live and vectored MDV vaccines can prevent tumor formation in vaccinated chickens, but do not elicit sterilizing immunity. Furthermore, they are expensive to produce, store and ship. Except for the lyophilized serotype-3 HVT vaccine, liquid nitrogen is required for storage, shipment, and farm-side administration due to the instability of live vaccine-infected cells. To overcome these shortcomings of current vaccines, we developed a recombinant Newcastle disease virus (NDV) expressing the MDV glycoprotein B (gB) as a dual vaccine. The synthetic gB gene of MDV was optimized for chicken codon usage and cloned into the NDV LaSota vaccine infectious clone. The resulting recombinant virus, named rLS/MDV-gB, was rescued using reverse genetics technology. The biological assessments of the rLS/MDV-gB virus showed that it was slightly attenuated in vivo, yet retained similar growth kinetics and comparable in vitro virus titers relative to the parental LaSota virus. An indirect immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the expression of MDV glycoprotein B in recombinant virus-infected DF-1 cells. Vaccination of specific-pathogen-free leghorn chickens with rLS/MDV-gB conferred significant protection against virulent MDV challenge and complete protection against the velogenic NDV challenge. These results demonstrated that the rLS/MDV-gB is a safe, stable, inexpensive, and effective bivalent vaccine.

This dual vaccine against Marek's disease and Newcastle disease can be readily administered through any method known in the art, such as via drinking water, or by direct spray (Meulemans, G., “Control By Vaccination,” in Alexander D J (ed), Newcastle Disease. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, Mass.), thus eliminating the cold chain requirement of the most prevalent commercial MDV vaccines. The exemplary NDV vector utilized herein is based on a naturally occurring low virulence NDV strain (LaSota) that has been used as a live vaccine (Ayala et al, PLoS One, (2016) 11:e0162484; Dimitrov et al, supra; Goldhaft, T., supra). This vaccine strain induces strong immunity, both mucosal and systemic, and has been proven to be safe and stable with no reports of virulence reversion or recombination with field strains. The recombinant NDV vaccine reported here can be lyophilized, stored, and transported at ambient temperatures and readily administered to large populations of chickens through drinking water supplies or by direct spray at a low cost.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described herein. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the included claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents are covered thereby.

Technical and scientific terms used herein have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the instant invention pertains, unless otherwise defined. Reference is made herein to various materials and methodologies known to those of skill in the art. Standard reference works setting forth the general principles of recombinant DNA technology include Sambrook et al., “Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual”, 2d ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Plainview, N.Y., 1989; Kaufman et al., eds., “Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine”, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1995; and McPherson, ed., “Directed Mutagenesis: A Practical Approach”, IRL Press, Oxford, 1991. Standard reference literature teaching general methodologies and principles of NDV reverse genetics and the development of recombinant vaccines include: Cardenas-Garcia & Afonso, Methods Mol. Biol., (2017), 1602:141-58; Kim & Samal, Curr. Protocols Mol. Biol., (2018) 48:18.5.1-18.5.12).

Any suitable materials and/or methods known to those of skill can be utilized in carrying out the instant invention. Materials and/or methods for practicing the instant invention are described. Materials, reagents and the like to which reference is made in the following description and examples are obtainable from commercial sources, unless otherwise noted.

As used in the specification and claims, use of the singular “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The term “about” is defined as plus or minus ten percent of a recited value. For example, about 1.0 g means 0.9 g to 1.1 g and all values within that range, whether specifically stated or not.

The terms “consisting essentially of” and “consists essentially of” have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law, namely, they allow for elements not explicitly recited, but exclude elements that are found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention.

The term “gB” or “glycoprotein B” refers herein to the glycoprotein B protein from Marek's Disease Virus (SEQ ID NO: 2). In context, the term can also refer to an open reading frame encoding this protein, such as the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 (codon optimized for expression in Gallus gallus), positions 3310-5907 of SEQ ID NO:3 and complementary sequences. These terms also refer to modified versions of these SEQ ID NOs, such as those comprising regulatory nucleic acids, or proteins (and the nucleic acids encoding them) containing additional moieties allowing for purification (e.g., His tag), or immunogenicity-enhancement. For example, SEQ ID NO: 3 comprises a Kozak (translation enhancement) sequence at position 3303-3309. Where indicated, these terms can also include antigenic sub-portions of the provided protein sequence.

As used herein, the term “poultry” refers to one bird, or a group of birds, of any type of domesticated birds typically kept for egg and/or meat production. For example, poultry includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, bantams, quail, pheasant, pigeons, or the like, preferably commercially important poultry such as chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys.

The terms “isolated”, “purified”, or “biologically pure” as used herein, refer to material that is substantially, or essentially, free from components that normally accompany the referenced material in its native state.

The term “codon optimization” refers to the process of optimally configuring the nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein or polypeptide for expression or translation in a selected host. In general, if a gene contains codons that are rarely used by the host, its expression level will not be maximal. This may be one of the limitations of heterologous protein expression and the development of DNA vaccines. Codon usage optimization typically involves altering the rare codons in the target gene so that they more closely reflect the codon usage of the host without modifying the amino acid sequence of the encoded protein (Gustafsson, C., Trends Biotechnol. 22, 346-353, 2004). The information usually used for the optimization process is therefore the DNA or protein sequence to be optimized and a codon usage table (reference set) of the host.

An “immunological response” to a composition or vaccine is the development in the host of a cellular and/or antibody-mediated immune response to a composition or vaccine of interest. Usually, an “immunological response” includes but is not limited to one or more of the following effects: the production of antibodies, B cells, helper T cells, and/or cytotoxic T cells, directed specifically to an antigen or antigens included in the composition or vaccine of interest. Preferably, the host will display either a therapeutic or protective immunological response such that resistance to new infection will be enhanced and/or the clinical severity of the disease reduced. Such protection will be demonstrated by either a reduction or lack of symptoms normally displayed by an infected host, a quicker recovery time and/or a lowered viral titer in the infected host.

Molecular Biological Methods

An isolated nucleic acid is a nucleic acid the structure of which is not identical to that of any naturally occurring nucleic acid. The term therefore covers, for example, (a) a DNA which has the sequence of part of a naturally occurring genomic DNA/RNA molecule but is not flanked by both of the coding or noncoding sequences that flank that part of the molecule in the genome of the organism in which it naturally occurs; (b) a nucleic acid incorporated into a vector or into the genomic DNA of a prokaryote or eukaryote in a manner such that the resulting molecule is not identical to any naturally occurring vector or genomic DNA; (c) a separate molecule such as a cDNA, a genomic fragment, a fragment produced by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a chemically synthesized fragment, or a restriction fragment; and (d) a recombinant nucleotide sequence that is part of a hybrid gene, i.e., a gene encoding a fusion protein. Specifically excluded from this definition are nucleic acids present in mixtures of (i) DNA molecules, (ii) transformed or transfected cells, and (iii) cell clones, e.g., as these occur in a DNA library such as a cDNA or genomic DNA library.

The term recombinant nucleic acids refers to polynucleotides which are made by the combination of two otherwise separated segments of sequence accomplished by the artificial manipulation of isolated segments of polynucleotides by genetic engineering techniques or by chemical synthesis. In so doing one may join polynucleotide segments of desired functions to generate a desired combination of functions.

In practicing some embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, it can be useful to modify the genomic sequence of a recombinant virus producing glycoprotein B. Such modification can involve deletion of all or a portion of a target gene, including but not limited to the open reading frame of a target locus, transcriptional regulators such as promoters of a target locus, and any other regulatory nucleic acid sequences positioned 5′ or 3′ from the open reading frame. Such deletional mutations can be achieved using any technique known to those of skill in the art. Mutational, insertional, and deletional variants of the disclosed nucleotide sequences and genes can be readily prepared by methods which are well known to those skilled in the art. Thus, while the present disclosure provides an exemplary insertional recombinant virus (SEQ ID NO: 3), the placement of the gB coding sequence is not limited to this example within a Newcastle disease virus genome. It is well within the skill of a person trained in this art to make mutational, insertional, and deletional mutations which are equivalent in function to the specific ones disclosed herein.

Where a recombinant nucleic acid is intended for expression, cloning, or replication of a particular sequence, DNA constructs prepared for introduction into a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host will typically comprise a replication system (i.e. vector) recognized by the host, including the intended DNA fragment encoding a desired polypeptide, and can also include transcription and translational initiation regulatory sequences operably linked to the polypeptide-encoding segment. Expression systems (expression vectors) can include, for example, an origin of replication or autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) and expression control sequences, a promoter, an enhancer and necessary processing information sites, such as ribosome-binding sites, RNA splice sites, polyadenylation sites, transcriptional terminator sequences, and mRNA stabilizing sequences.

Nucleic acids and proteins of the present invention can also encompass sequences with high identity to the specifically disclosed sequences. Identity can be 50%-100%. In some instances, such identity is greater than 80%, greater than 85%, greater than 90%, or greater than 95%. In other embodiments, such identity is 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.71%, 99.72%, 99.73%, 99.74%, 99.75%, 99.76%, 99.77%, 99.78%, 99.79%, 99.8%, 99.81%, 99.82%, 99.83%, 99.84%, 99.85%, 99.86%, 99.87%, 99.88%, 99.89%, 99.9%, 99.91%, 99.92%, 99.93%, 99.94%, 99.95%, 99.96%, 99.97%, 99.98%, or 99.99%. The degree of homology or identity needed for any intended use of the sequence(s) is readily identified by one of skill in the art. As used herein percent sequence identity of two nucleic acids is determined using any algorithm known in the art, such as that disclosed by Karlin and Altschul (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:2264-2268, modified as in Karlin and Altschul (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5873-5877. Such an algorithm is incorporated into the NBLAST and XBLAST programs of Altschul et al. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 215:402-410. BLAST nucleotide searches are performed with the NBLAST program, score=100, wordlength=12, to obtain nucleotide sequences with the desired percent sequence identity. To obtain gapped alignments for comparison purposes, Gapped BLAST is used as described in Altschul et al. (1997) Nucl. Acids. Res. 25:3389-3402. When utilizing BLAST and Gapped BLAST programs, the default parameters of the respective programs (NBLAST and BLAST) are used. See www.ncbi.nih.gov.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the vector utilized to express the MDV gB protein is a Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) vector. Newcastle disease virus also designated as Avian orthoavulavirus 1 (family Paramyxoviridae, subfamily Avulavirinae, genus orthoavulavirus) is an avian pathogen in which naturally occurring strains exhibit a wide range of disease severity. NDV is particularly advantageous as a vaccine vector for veterinary use because the vector itself serves as a needed poultry vaccine. NDV strain pathotypes are asymptomatic enteric (e,g., Ulster 2C, Queensland V4), lentogenic (e.g., LaSota, B₁B₁, VG/GA), mesogenic (e.g., strain H, Mukteswar, Roakin, Beaudette C) or velogenic (e.g., Texas GB, NY parrot 70181, Italien, Milano, Herts 33/56, CA02). As NDV does not express all MDV proteins it is therefore compatible with a DIVA (differentiate infected from vaccinated animals) strategy.

Immunogenic Compositions

An immunogenic composition is defined herein as a biological agent (e.g., virus) which is capable of providing a protective response in an animal to which the immunogenic composition has been delivered and is incapable of causing severe disease. Administration of the immunogenic compositions result in increased immunity to a disease; the immunogenic compositions stimulate antibody production, cellular immunity, or both against the pathogen(s) causing the disease. Immunity is defined herein as the induction of a significantly higher level of protection in a population of recipients, such as poultry, against mortality and clinical symptoms after receipt of an immunogenic composition compared to an untreated group. In particular, the immunogenic composition(s) according to the invention can: (a) protect a large proportion of treated animals against the occurrence of clinical symptoms of the disease and mortality, or; (b) result in a significant decrease in clinical symptoms of the disease and mortality. In preferred embodiments, the vaccines or immunogenic compositions disclosed herein provide immunity against two diseases, specifically Marek's disease and Newcastle disease.

The immunogenic composition(s) of the invention herein, regardless of other components included, comprise a recombinant virus (e.g., NDV) expressing the gB gene of Marek's Disease Virus. In particular embodiments, the open reading frame for the gB gene is modified to reflect the codon usage of the target organism, for example Gallus gallus. In particular embodiments, the recombinant virus expressing the gB gene is a Newcastle Disease Virus.

The immunogenically effective amounts of immunogenic compositions disclosed herein can vary based upon multiple parameters. In general, however, effective amounts per dosage unit can be about 1×10⁵⁻⁷EID₅₀/bird, about 1×10⁵⁻⁶ EID₅₀/bird, about 1×10⁶⁻⁷EID₅₀/bird, about 1×10⁵EID₅₀/bird, 1×10⁶EID₅₀/bird, or 1×10⁷EID₅₀/bird.

One, two, or more dosage units can be utilized in practicing the methodologies of the present invention. If two dosage units are selected, then vaccination at about day 1 post-hatch and again at about one week to two weeks of age is preferred. A dosage unit can readily be modified to fit a desired volume or mass by one of skill in the art. Regardless of the dosage unit parameters, immunogenic compositions and vaccines disclosed herein can be administered in an amount effective to produce an immune response to the presented viruses (e.g., NDV and MDV). An “immunogenically effective amount” or “effective amount” of an immunogenic composition as used herein, is an amount of the composition that provides sufficient levels of antigenic protein to produce a desired result, such as induction of, or increase in, production of antibody specific to the antigen, protection against coccidiosis, as evidenced by a reduction in gastrointestinal lesions, increased weight gain, and decreased oocyst shedding and other indicators of reduction in pathogenesis. Amounts of immunogenic compositions capable of inducing such effects are referred to as an effective amount, or immunogenically effective amount, of the immunogenic compositions.

Dosage levels of active ingredients (e.g., recombinant virus) in immunogenic compositions disclosed herein, can be varied by one of skill in the art to achieve a desired result in a subject or per application. As such, a selected dosage level can depend upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, formulation, combination with other treatments, severity of a pre-existing condition, and the presence or absence of adjuvants. In preferred embodiments, a minimal dose of an immunogenic composition is administered. As used herein, the term “minimal dose” or “minimal effective dose” refers to a dose that demonstrates the absence of, or minimal presence of, toxicity to the recipient, but still results in producing a desired result (e.g., protective immunity). Minimal effective doses, or minimum immunizing doses, of the recombinant immunogenic compositions provided herein can include about 10⁵ to about 10⁷ EID₅₀ recombinant virus per bird. Determination of a minimal dose is well within the capabilities of one skilled in the art.

Efficacy of the vaccines of the present disclosure can be tested at least 2 weeks after the last immunization by challenging a recipient (e.g., poultry such as a chicken), with a virulent, heterologous or homologous strain of MDV, NDV or both. Animals can be observed daily following challenge for clinical signs and mortality. In addition, the groups of animals can be euthanized and evaluated for pathological findings. Relevant biological samples can be collected from recipients post challenge for virus detection. The presence or absence of viral antigens in tissues can be evaluated by any approach known in the art, including, but not limited to immunohistochemistry, viral isolation or titration, and nucleic acid detection. Blood samples may be collected post-challenge and may be analyzed for the presence of anti-MDV specific antibodies, anti-NDV specific antibodies, or both, as well as MDV- and/or NDV-reactive lymphocytes.

Formulations

In some instances, immunogenic compositions of the present invention also contain or comprise one or more adjuvants, which includes any material included in the immunogenic composition formulation that enhances an immune response in the recipient that is induced by the immunogenic composition. Such adjuvants include any adjuvant known in the art including, but not limited to, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or toll-like receptor antagonists. Formulations of the present disclosure can also contain pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable carriers or vehicles or excipients. Such components are well known to the skilled iartisan. For example, a pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable carrier or vehicle or excipient can be sterile water, a 0.9% NaCl (e.g., saline) solution or a phosphate buffer. Other pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable carrier or vehicle or excipients that can be used for methods of this invention include, but are not limited to, poly-(L-glutamate) or polyvinylpyrrolidone. The pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable carrier or vehicle or excipients may be any compound or combination of compounds facilitating the administration of the recombinant virus. Carriers, vehicles, or excipients can also facilitate preservation.

Administration Methodologies

The present disclosure provides compositions for introducing a recombinant immunogenic composition containing, at a minimum, a recombinant NDV virus expressing an MDV protein (e.g., glycoprotein B). Thus, the compositions provided herein can be utilized to induce immunity or resistance to both NDV and MDV in targets to which the composition is provided.

Recombinant viruses, immunogenic compositions and vaccines of the present invention can be administered to a recipient (e.g., poultry such as a turkey or chicken) via drinking water, in ovo, via sprays, aerosols, intranasally, or eye-dropping. Where a vaccine is administered in ovo, it can be administered 1-3 days before hatching. For other routes of administration, the recipient (e.g., chicken) can be 1 day old, 2 days old, 3 days old, 4 days old, 5 days old, 6 days old, 7 days old, 8 days old, 9 days old, 10 days old, 11 days old, 12 days old, 13 days old, 14 days old, 15 days old, 16 days old, 17 days old, 18 days old, 19 days old, 20 days old, or 21 days old.

In one embodiment of the invention, a “prime-boost” regimen can be employed, which is comprised of at least one primary administration and at least one booster administration using at least one common protein, polypeptide, antigen, epitope or immunogen. The immunological composition or vaccine used in primary administration can be different in nature from those used as a booster. However, it is noted that the same composition can be used as the primary administration and the boost. The primary administration, the boost administration, or both, can comprise one or more administrations. The various administrations can be carried out about 1 to about 6 weeks apart, or about 2 to about 4 weeks apart.

Application of an immunogenic composition of the present disclosure to a subject can result in the development of immunity to MDV and NDV, preferably development of an effective immune response that results in the decrease or removal of clinical symptoms. Application of the immunogenic compositions of the present invention can be performed before, during or after the development of Marek's disease, Newcastle disease, or both.

Having generally described this invention, the same will be better understood by reference to certain specific examples, which are included herein to further illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

EXAMPLES Example 1

Construction and Propagation of an rLS/MDV-gB Virus.

Cell lines and viruses: HEp-2 (CCL-81; ATCC, Manassas, Va., USA) and DF-1 (CRL-12203; ATCC) cell lines were grown in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM, ThermoFisher Scientific, Carlsbad, Calif., USA) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS, ThermoFisher Scientific) and antibiotics (100 U/ml Penicillin, 100 μg/ml Streptomycin, 0.25 μg/ml Amphotericin B, ThermoFisher Scientific, Suwanee, Ga.) at 37° C. in 5% CO₂ atmosphere. DF-1 cells were maintained in DMEM supplemented with 10% allantoic fluid (AF) from 10-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicken embryos for all subsequent infections unless otherwise indicated. The recombinant (rLaSota and rLS/GFP) viruses were generated as previously described (Hu et al, Vaccine, (2011), 29:8624-33; Zhao et al, J. Virol., (2014) 88:8397-406). The velogenic strain of NDV, California 2002 (NDV/CA02; game chicken/US(CA)/S0212676/02), was obtained from the pathogen repository bank at the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL, USDA-ARS, Athens, Ga., USA). A virulent MDV strain (JM/102W) was obtained from the pathogen repository bank at the Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory (ADOL, USDA-ARS, East Lansing, Mich., USA). A modified vaccinia Ankara/T7 recombinant virus (MVA/T7) used during virus rescue to provide the bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase was a kind gift from B. Moss, National Institutes of Health (Wyatt et al, Virology, (1995) 210:202-5).

Nucleic acid isolation: Viral RNA was isolated from the allantoic fluid of NDV-infected chicken embryos and infected DF-1 cells using the TRIzol-LS reagent according to the manufacturer's instructions (ThermoFisher Scientific). MD viral DNA extraction from tracheal and ocular swab samples was performed using the MagaZorbH DNA mini-prep 96-well kit (Promega, Madison, Wis.) as described previously (Johnson et al, Avian Dis., (2010) 54:1251-9).

Construction of a recombinant LaSota (NDV) cDNA clone containing the gB gene of MDV: A previously generated pLS-GFP infectious clone (Hu et al, supra; Zhao et al, supra) was used as a backbone to construct a recombinant LaSota cDNA clone with the MDV gB gene inserted between the phosphoprotein (P) and matrix (M) genes as an additional transcription unit. Briefly, the gB gene of MDV Strain AC722 (Dunn et al, J. Gen. Virol., (2019) 100:1132-39) (Dunn et al., 2019) (14) (Dunn, Black Pyrkosz et al. 2019) [14] [7] was optimized for codon usage based on codon frequencies in Gallus gallus and synthesized by GenScript (Piscataway, N.J., USA). The open reading frame (ORF) of the gB gene and the pLS-GFP vector were amplified by PCR with pfuUltra™ II Fusion HS DNA polymerase (Agilent Technologies, La Jolla, Calif., USA) utilizing gB- and vector-specific primers according to the manufacturer's instructions. Subsequently, the amplified gB ORF was cloned into the pLS-GFP vector to replace the GFP gene using the In-Fusion® PCR cloning kit following the manufacturer's instructions (Clontech, Mountain View, Calif., USA). The resulting recombinant, designated as pLS/MDV-gB (SEQ ID NO: 3), was propagated in Stbl2 cells at 30° C. for 24 hours and purified using a QIAprep Spin Miniprep kit (Qiagen, Valencia, Calif., USA).

Virus rescue and propagation: Rescue of the recombinant virus was performed by transfection of the full-length cDNA clone, pLS/MDV-gB, and supporting plasmids that express the NDV NP, P and L proteins into MVA/T7-infected HEp-2 cells as described previously (Estevez et al, Virus Res., (2007) 129:182-90). The rescued virus was amplified by inoculating 100 μl of the infected cell lysate into the allantoic cavity of 9-day-old SPF chicken embryos and incubating the embryos at 37° C. After 4 days of incubation, the AF was harvested, and the presence of the rescued virus was detected by hemagglutination (HA) assay (Alexander, D., “Newcastle Disease Virus and Other Avian Paramyxoviruses”, p. 156-163, in Swayne D, Glisson J R, Jackwood M W, Pearson J E, Reed W M (ed), A laboratory manual for the isolation and identification of avian pathogens, 4th Edition ed. American Association of Avian Pathologists, Kennett Square, Pa.). HA-positive AF was filtered through a 0.22 μm Nalgene Syringe Filter (ThermoFisher Scientific), then diluted in PBS and amplified in chicken embryos three times. The AF was harvested from the infected embryos, aliquoted, and stored at −80° C. as a stock. The nucleotide sequence of the rescued virus was determined by sequencing the RT-PCR products amplified from the viral genome, as described previously (Hu et al, supra).

A full-length cDNA clone encoding the complete anti-sense genome of the NDV LaSota vaccine strain with the MDV gB gene was constructed using PCR and IN-FUSION PCR cloning (FIG. 1). The insertion of the transcription “cassettes” containing NDV trans-acting elements and the MDV gB gene ORF, increased the length of the recombinant clone by 2,796 bps. Thus, the total length of cDNA clone in the pLS/MDV-gB plasmids is 17,982 bps (SEQ ID NO: 3) and is divisible by 6 abiding by the “Rule of Six” (Kolakofsky et al, J. Gen. Virol., (2005) 86:1869-77). After co-transfection of the full-length cDNA clone and supporting plasmids into HEp-2 cells and subsequent propagation in SPF chicken embryonated eggs, the LaSota strain-based recombinant virus vectoring the MDV gB gene was successfully generated. The nucleotide sequence of the rescued recombinant virus, designated rLS/MDV-gB, was confirmed by sequencing analysis of the RT-PCR products of the viral genome (Data not shown).

Example 2

Biological Characterization of Recombinant rLS/MDV-gB Virus.

Titration, pathogenicity and growth dynamics analyses: Titers of rLS/MDV-gB and its parental rLaSota and rLS/GFP viruses were analyzed and compared using two methods: 1) a standard HA test in a 96-well microplate, and; 2) a 50% egg infective dose (EID₅₀) assay in 9-day-old SPF chicken embryos (Alexander, D., supra). Pathogenicity of these recombinant viruses was determined using the standard mean death time (MDT) in chicken embryos and intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI) assays in one-day-old SPF chickens (Alexander, D., supra). The growth kinetics of the recombinant virus in vitro was determined using DF-1 cells. DF-1 cells were infected with the rLS/MDV-gB virus at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.01. Every 12 h post-infection, the infected DF-1 cells were harvested by freezing and thawing two times and stored at −80° C. until tested. Viral titers were determined by the 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID₅₀) assay on DF-1 cells for each time point in triplicates (Alexander, D., supra). The mean titer of each time point of the viruses is expressed in Log₁₀ TCID₅₀/mL. The parental rLaSota, and rLS/GFP viruses were included in the growth kinetic assay as controls.

MDT and ICPI tests were performed to determine whether the insertion of the MDV gB gene into the NDV LaSota genome affected the biological properties (i.e., pathogenicity and growth kinetics) of the recombinant rLS/MDV-gB virus. As shown in Table 1, the recombinant virus was slightly attenuated with a lower ICPI (0.0) and higher MDT (>150 hs) than the parental rLaSota virus. The titer of the recombinant virus grown in embryonated eggs was comparable to the titers of the parental rLaSota and rLS/GFP viruses with a slightly lower HA titer (Table 1). Replication of the rLS/MDV-gB virus was initially delayed in the early stages (first 36 hours) of infection, but after time, it was able to replicate to similar titers compared to the parental rLaSota and rLS/GFP viruses (FIG. 2).

TABLE 1 Biological assessments of the recombinant viruses Viruses MDT ICPI HA EID₅₀ rLaSota 110 hs 0.15 2¹¹ 2.37 × 10⁹ rLS/GFP 140 hs 0.0 2¹¹ 3.16 × 10⁹ rLS/MDV-gB >150 hs  0.0 2⁸  6.81 × 10⁹

Expression of the MDV gB and NDV hemagglutinin (HN) proteins in cells infected with the recombinant rLS/MDV-gB virus: Expression of the MDV gB and NDV HN proteins in DF-1 cells infected with the rLS/MDV-gB virus was examined by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) with a polyclonal anti-MDV chicken serum (Md11) and an NDV-specific monoclonal antibody against the HN protein (Mab, a gift of Dr. Ron Iorio from University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA). Briefly, confluent monolayers of DF-1 cells were infected with rLaSota and rLS/MDV-gB viruses, respectively, at 0.01 MOI. After 24 hours the infected cells and control cells were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and fixed with 10% zinc formalin (Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA) for 15 min at room temperature, followed by the addition of 0.5% Triton X-100 (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.) for 10 min to permeabilize the cells at room temperature. The permeabilized cells were blocked with 5% goat serum (SouthernBiotech, Birmingham, Ala., USA) for 30 min at 37° C. After blocking, the cells were incubated for 1 hour with a mixture of anti-MDV sera (1:100 dilution) and mouse anti-NDV HN Mab (1:100 Dilution). Cells were washed with PBS and incubated with a mixture of FITC-labeled goat anti-chicken IgG (H+L) (SouthernBiotech, 1:1000 dilution) and ALEXA FLUOR 568 conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (ThermoFisher Scientific, 1:1000 dilution) for 1 hour at 37° C. Finally, the infected cells were stained with DAPI (300 nM, ThermoFisher Scientific) for 5 min at room temperature. Cytopathic effect (CPE) and fluorescence images were monitored and photographed using an EVOS FL Cell Imaging System at 400× magnifications (ThermoFisher Scientific). Green, red, and blue fluorescent images that were photographed from the same field of virus-infected cells were merged into single images, respectively, to examine the co-localization of the MDV gB and NDV HN proteins.

Expression of the MDV gB and NDV HN proteins in the recombinant virus-infected DF-1 cells was examined by IFA. As shown in FIG. 3, red fluorescence (presenting NDV HN protein) was observed in rLaSota infected cells, but no green fluorescence (presenting MDV gB protein) was detected in the same field of infected cells, demonstrating the specificity of the antibodies and conjugates. When examining rLS/MDV-gB infected DF-1 cells, both green and red fluorescence was observed by fluorescence microscopy, indicative of gB and HN staining, respectively. After merging fluorescent images that were taken in the same field, green and red fluorescence co-localized to the same infected cells. These results confirm that the MDV gB protein was co-expressed with the NDV HN protein from the rLS/MDV-gB recombinant-infected cells.

Example 3

Vaccination Studies

Three animal experiments were performed to evaluate the protective efficacy of rLS/MDV-gB vaccine against MDV and NDV challenges. In experiments 1 and 2, Line 15I₅x7₁ white leghorn chickens (F₁ hybrid progeny of susceptible line 15I₅ males and line 7₁ females) were used in ABSL-2 facilities in ADOL to evaluate protection against MDV challenge. The breeding flock was routinely monitored for antibodies against MDV, avian leukosis virus, and reticuloendotheliosis virus and was negative for these viruses during the period of these experiments. Animal usage protocols for experiments 1 and 2 were approved by the Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. In Experiment 3, SPF Leghorn chickens were used in the BSL-3E animal facilities at SEPRL to evaluate the protection against lethal NDV challenge. All chickens were housed in Horsfall isolators (Federal Designs, Inc., Comer, Ga.) with ad libitum access to feed and water. At the termination of the experiments, all birds were humanely euthanized following SEPRL's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approved animal use protocols.

Experiment 1: For measuring protection against MDV challenge in each of two replicates, birds were divided into four groups of 19 birds and vaccinated at hatch with 100 μl of PBS [Group 1], rLS-GFP [Group 2], or rLS/MDV-gB [Group 3] at a dose of 1.0×10⁶ EID₅₀/bird via intranasal and intraocular (IN/IO) routes. All birds were challenged with virulent MDV (JM/102W) at a dose of 500 PFU/bird by intraperitoneal injection at 14 days post-vaccination (DPV). Birds were monitored daily and up to 8 weeks of age. On day 14 immediately before the challenge, birds were bled for determining antibody responses to the vaccines. All birds were necropsied and measured for MD percentage at termination and percent protection was calculated as: % Protection=(% MD in unvaccinated control−% MD in vaccinated group)/% MD in unvaccinated group)×10. Chi-square analysis was used to analyze differences in % MD between unvaccinated and vaccinated groups, with Fisher's exact test used when expected values were less than 5 in any group. Significant results were based on p-value<0.05. Data were analyzed with the statistical program JMP 14 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, N.C., USA).

Experiment 2: For measuring the protection of chickens against an MDV challenge at an earlier age, methods from Expt. 1 were repeated in each of the two replicates, except each group was challenged with virulent MDV (JM/102W, 500 PFU) at 5 DPV. Birds were monitored daily and up to 8 weeks of age. All birds were necropsied and measured for MD percentage, as described in Experiment 1.

Experiment 3: Thirty (30) one-day-old SPF Leghorn chickens were randomly divided into three groups of 10 birds. Birds were inoculated with 100 μl of PBS [Group 1], vaccinated with the rLS/GFP [Group 2], or rLS/MDV-gB [Group 3] at a dose of 1.0×10⁶ EID₅₀/bird via IN/IO routes. At 14 DPV, the birds were challenged with a lethal dose of the NDV/CA02 virus, as described previously (Kapczynski & King, Vaccine, (2005) 23:3424-33). Serum samples were collected immediately before the challenge for NDV antibody detection using the standard HI assay (Alexander, D., supra). After the challenge, the birds were monitored daily for clinical signs of Newcastle disease and mortality for two weeks.)

In Experiment 1, birds vaccinated with the rLS/MDV-gB recombinant virus (SEQ ID NO: 3) developed a comparable level of HI antibody responses against NDV vector as its parental rLS/GFP virus at 14 DPV (Table 2) in both replicates. Birds were challenged at 14 DPV with virulent MDV and percentage (%) of Marek's disease was determined at necropsy at 8 weeks of age. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer was expressed as log₂ of the mean±standard deviation.

TABLE 2 Serum antibody responses of chickens following vaccination in Experiment 1 Antibody response HI titer Treatment Rep. 1 Rep. 2 PBS 0.00 ± 0.00 0.00 ± 0.00 rLS/GFP 5.25 ± 1.71 5.42 ± 1.31 rLS/MDV-gB 4.78 ± 1.23 4.74 ± 1.05

As shown in Table 3, about 84-95% of birds in the PBS group and 100% of birds in the NDV vector control group (rLS/GFP) of both replicas developed typical MD pathological changes with either enlarged peripheral nerves or visceral tumors. In contrast, only 5% (Replicate 2) and 11% (Replicate 1) of birds in the rLS/MDV-gB vaccination group showed MD lesions, representing 89% and 95% protection in replicates 1 and 2, respectively, against virulent MDV challenge. Statistical analysis revealed that vaccination of SPF chickens with the rLS/MDV-gB virus conferred significant protection against MDV challenge when compared to unvaccinated PBS control (p<0.0001). In contrast, there were no significant differences between the unvaccinated and parental rLS/GFP virus (without MDV gene insertion) groups.

TABLE 3 Clinical protection against MDV challenge Experiment 1 Experiment 2 % MD Pos % MD Pos % MD Pos % MD Pos Treatment (Rep 1) (Rep 2) (Rep 1) (Rep 2) PBS 95% 84%  93% 100% rLS/GFP 100% (p = 1.00)   100% (p = 0.2297) 100%  93% rLS/MDV-gB 11% (p < 0.0001)  5% (p < 0.0001) 27% (p < 0.01) 33% (p < 0.01)

In Experiment 2, vaccinated SPF chickens were challenged at 5 DPV to examine if the rLS/MDV-gB recombinant provides protection of chickens against MD at an earlier age. At 5 DPV, all vaccinated birds had not developed a detectable level of serum HI antibody against the NDV vector yet. In the rLS/MDV-gB vaccination group, 27-33% of chickens were MD positive, whereas, in the control groups (PBS and rLS/GFP), 93-100% of birds developed MDV induced pathological changes (Table 3). The 77-83% protection against MD obtained in the rLS/MDV-gB vaccinated birds were significantly higher than that from the NDV vector control group (rLS/GFP). The result demonstrated that the rLS/MDV-gB vaccine could provide significant partial protection against MD in SPF birds as early as 5 DPV.

Immune response and protection against velogenic NDV challenge. To determine whether the MDV gB gene insertion affects the protective efficacy of NDV vectored vaccine against ND, the vaccinated SPF chickens were challenged with vNDV at 14 DPV. As shown in Table 4, all of the birds immunized with rLS/MDV-gB induced NDV-specific humoral immunity with a comparable HI antibody titer as the parental rLaSota vaccine. All birds in the unvaccinated control group (inoculated with PBS) displayed disease signs with conjunctivitis and severe depression from 2 to 3 days post-challenge (DPC) and 100% mortality at 4 DPC. In contrast, all chickens immunized with the rLaSota vaccine or the rLS/MDV-gB virus were completely protected against the NDV challenge without showing any signs of disease. The result obtained from this study demonstrated that the MDV gB gene insertion into the NDV vector did not alter the protective efficacy of the NDV vectored vaccine against ND. For the data in Table 4, HI titer is expressed as log₂ of the mean±standard deviation. Serum NDV HI titer equal or larger than 3 log₂ is deemed as positive.

TABLE 4 Serum antibody responses of chickens following vaccination and survivors after NDV challenge Antibody responses Seropositive NDV HI Disease Treatment birds titer signs Survivors PBS  0/10 0 10/10   0/10 rLaSota 10/10 5.4 ± 1.3 0/10 10/10 rLS/MDV-gB 10/10 4.7 ± 1.0 0/10 10/10

While the invention has been described with reference to details of the illustrated embodiments, these details are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The embodiments of the invention in which exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows: 

What is claimed is:
 1. A recombinant Newcastle disease virus (NDV) comprising a synthetic polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:2.
 2. The recombinant NDV of claim 1, comprising a synthetic polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 98% identical to SEQ ID NO:2.
 3. The recombinant NDV of claim 1, further comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 4. The recombinant NDV of claim 1, wherein the NDV strain is LaSota.
 5. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim
 1. 6. A method of eliciting an immune response against Marek's disease virus (MDV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a composition comprising a recombinant NDV expressing a synthetic polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:2.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the synthetic polypeptide has an amino acid sequence at least 98% identical to SEQ ID NO:2.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the synthetic polypeptide comprises SEQ ID NO:2.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the recombinant NDV comprises a nucleic acid having at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO:3.
 10. The method of claim 6, wherein the subject is poultry.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the subject is a chicken. 